Journal-box for car-axles



Patented Feb. 18, 1890;

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W. O. DUNBAR.

JOURNAL BOX FOR GAR AXLES. No. 421,485.

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XVILLIAM OTIS DUNBAR, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

JOURNAL-BOX FDR CAR-AXLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,485, dated February 18, 1890.

Application filed July 1'7, 1889- Serial No. 317,762. (No model.)

My invention, while relating generally to.

journal-boxes for car-axles, has reference more particularly to the lids used in connection therewlth, whereby the orifices in their fronts or outer ends are closed and ingress to the boxes afforded for supplying lubricant and for other purposes as occasion may require. In journal-boxes of this class as ordinarily constructed the portions of the fronts or outer ends in which the orifices are formed are usually inclined backward from their lower edges, and the lids are applied to and against the outer surfaces thereof either by being bolted thereto or by means of wedge shaped guides in which they are arranged, or by hinging them either at their upper edges or at their ends to the boxes and holding them against such surfaces by their own grav ty or by spring-pressu re applied to them. The lids as thus disposed under these arrangements, as well as their disposition under all other previous arrangements with which I am acquainted, while serving to close the orifice in the boxes and permitting of ingress to the same, have been found defective in practice principally because of the fact that the joints between the lids and the surfaces against which they bear are on the outsides of the boxes and the lubricant thrown upon the inner sides of the lids when the car is in motion or otherwise runs down such sides and escapes through the joints and is wasted.

The object of my invention is to obviate this defect and to provide a lid which, while tightly closing the orifice in the box and preventing the waste of the lubricant, shall per mit of ready ingress thereto and at the same time be simple and cheap in construction and not liable to become misplaced or lost.

To this end my invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction whereby these results are accomplished, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a journal-box with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section, taken in the plane 00 so of Fig. 1, of the front portion of a journal-box with my invention applied in connection therewith; Fig. 3, a similar view, taken in the same plane, of a slightly-modified construction; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the box shown in Fig. 2, taken in the plane y y in that figure; Fig. 5, a detail elevation of a portion of a journal-box constructed in accordance with my invention, the front of the guideway and the lid being omitted to more clearly illustrate certain features thereof; and Fig. 6, an isometric projection of one of the strips which co-operate with the springs to hold the lid pressed outward atall times toward and against the front of the guideway and insure a tight joint being formed between them.

In all the figures like letters are employed to designate corresponding parts.

A indicates a journal-box having the usual orifice a in its front or outer end, through which ingress is permitted for supplying lubricant and for other purposes. In the application of my invention any of the ordinary and well-known forms of journal-boxes may be employed. The design, however, which I have selected for the exemplification of my invention is that illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 397,901, granted to me February 19, 1889, to which reference may be had.

B indicates the lid, by means of which the orifice a in the journal-box is closed. This lid instead of being secured to the outside of the box, as heretofore, is fitted to slide in a suitable guideway a, formed as a pocket in the outer end thereof. As shown in the drawings, this guideway is preferably made of a width somewhat greater than the width of the orifice a and extends from the upper outer edge of the box downward across such. orifice and terminates at the under side of the same in a ledge or close bottom a being preferably formed with its sides parallel or non-wedge shaped throughout. The outer edge of this the same, as shown in Fig 3, or be made in a separate piece and secured in place by screws or bolts 0, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. This latter construction, however, I prefer in practice, as provision is thereby made for truing up the surfaces and insuring a more perfeet joint between the lid and the parts against which it bears but however constructed itis provided with an orifice through its center to correspond with the orifice a in the front of the box, of which it forms a part, and also with a lip extending upward from the under side of its orifice some distance above the outer edge of the ledge a as shown. The lid when arranged in the guideway may in some instances rest upon the ledge a I prefer, however, to support it by means of a flange b projecting from its upper end, in which case the bottom of the lid will be held a short distance above theledge, but still project down below the upper edge of the lip c. WVhen the flange b is employed, itwill preferably project outward from the upper end of the lid in all directions around the same and will rest upon the upper surface of the box adjacent to the guideway, thereby serving not only as a support for the lid, but also as a means for preventing dust and other foreign substances entering the guideway at that point. In most instances the joint between the flange and the surfaces with which it co-operates will be sufficiently tight for all practical purposes; but, if desired, a packingstrip may be interposed between them, as may also be a packing-strip a inserted between the lower end of the lid and the ledge, if preferred. As thus disposed, the joint between the lid and the box, instead of being formed between the inner side of the former and the outer end of the latter, as heretofore, is formed between the outer side of the lid and the inner side of the front of the guideway, which portion of the guideway in reality forms the front of the box, and, in order to insure the proper degree of tightness in the joint between these parts, the lid is preferably paneled on its front and back, or at least on its front, leavinga projecting bearing-surface around its outer edge for co-operation with the inner surface of the front 0, springs I) being employed, which, seated in cavities Z2, formed in the outer surface of the box, serve to hold the lid pressed outward against the front, as shown. These springs, instead of acting directly against the inner side of the lid, bear at their outer ends against strips d, seated in suitable channels or recesses d, also formed in the outer face of the box, whereby a more uniform pressure along the entire length of the lid is insured, and both the protrusion of the spring across the guide- In order to provide means for raising the lid when desired, as well as for preventing it from being raised entirely out of the guideway a and lost, a handle or catch-piece b is secured to its outer side and works through the orifice formed in the front of the guideway a. When used in connection with a guideway having the front made in a separate piece and secured in place by means of screws or bolts, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and

5, this handle or catch-piece may be made integral with the lid; but when used in connection with a guideway having a front that is cast integrally therewith, as shown, for in-.

stance, in Fig. 3, it will be made in a separate piece and secured to the lid by screws or otherwise, as may be preferred. In whichever of the two ways constructed, however, it will pro j ect sufficiently far through the orifice to permit of being readily engaged by the hand, and at the same time serve as a stop to limit the upward movement of the lid by striking the top of the orifice in the front of the guideway when the lid is raised toa certain height. With the lid as thus constructed and arranged I sometimes find it convenient to em ploy a plate D, which rests -at its lower end upon the deflector m or inner edge of the ledge a in rear of the lid, and is held in place by the conjoint action of suitable lugs e, projecting inward from the sides of the box, and the deflectorn, depending from the upper side thereof. This plate will be made of a width sufficiently great to extend across the orifice a, or nearly so, and will preferably be provided with a handle or catch-piece e on its outer side, by means of which it may be removed from the box when required, the object and purpose of this plate being to intercept the lubricant when thrown upward in the box and prevent it, as far as possible, from reaching the lid. In some instances I find it desirable to provide the plate with an orifice near its center, through which the lubricant may be supplied when the lid is raised; but in my preferred form of construction this orifice will be omitted, the plate being merely tilted forward or removed wholly from its seat when that operation is performed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I provide means for closing the orifice in the front or outer end of the j ournal-box which is not only simple in construction and efficient in operation, but which obviates to agreat extent many of the defects experienced by the use of journal-boxes as heretofore constructed, the lip on the front of the guide way extending up above the ledge over which the lid is supported and the formation of the joint between the outside of the lid and the inner side of the front of the guideway serving to prevent the escape of the lubricant, while the arrangement of the handle or catclrpiece on the lid within the orifice in such front not only affording a convenient means for manipulating the lid, but also a stop to prevent its being raised entirely from its guideway and becoming lost.

In the above I have described the best means contemplated by me for carrying my invention into practice; but I wish it, distinctly understood that I do not limit myself strictly thereto, as it is obvious that I may modify the same in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invent-ion and one way in which it is or may be carried into effect, what I claim as new, and desire to seeure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s-

1. A journalbox provided with an orifice in its outer end, a guideway for reception of a lid arranged in relation to such orifice, and with cavities in said guideway for reception of springs, substantially as described.

2. A journal-box provided with an orifice in its outer end, a guideway for reception of a lid arranged in relation to such orifice, spring-cavities Z), and channels or recesses d, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a journal -box provided with an orifice and a guideway in its front or outer end, and with an orifice in the front of said guideway, of a lid fitted to such guideway and provided with a handle or catch-piece projecting through the lastmentioned orifice and with a flange projecting outward from its upper end in all directions around the same to serve not only as a support for the lid, but also as a guard to close the guideway at the top to preventingress of dirt and other foreign substances, substantially as described.

4.. The combination, with a journal-box provided with an orifice in its outer end and a guideway arranged in relation to such orifice, of a lid fitted to said guideway and pro vided with a flange at its upper end, and an interposed packing-strip, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a journal-box provided in its front or outer end with an orifice, and with a non-wedge or parallel-sided guideway constructed with an orifice in its front and with a lip extending upward from the lower outer edge of its closed bottom, of a lid arranged in said guideway and provided with a flange projecting outward from its upper end in all directions around the same to close the upper end of the guideway to the admission of dirt and other foreign substances, and devices separable from the box and lid for holding said lid pressed outward against the continuous surfaces formed by the inner faces of the lip and the adjacent sides of the front of the guideway to form a tight joint between the outer side of the lid and such surfaces, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a journal-box provided with an opening in its outer end and with a guideway disposed in relation thereto, of a lid arranged in such guideway and provided with a flange projecting outward from its upper ends in all directions around the same to close the upper end of the guideway to the admission of dirt and other foreign substances, and springs for holding the lid pressed outward against the front of the guideway to form a tight joint between them, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a journal box provided with an orifice and a guideway in its outer end, and alid arranged in said guideway, of springs for acting against the lid to hold it pressed outward against the front of said guideway, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a journal box provided with an orifice, a guideway and cavities l) in its outer end, and a lid fitted to said guideway, of springs arranged in such cavities, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with a journal box provided with an orifice, a guideway, cavities h and channels or recesses CZ in its outer end, and a lid fitted to the guideway, of the springs Z) and strips (Z, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with a journal-box provided with a guideway, cavities b and channels or recesses (Z in its outer end, and a lid arranged in such guideway, of springs b and pieces at, having their lower ends bent at an angle to their bodies, substantially as described.

11, The combination, with a journal-box having an orifice and a guideway in its outer end and with an orifice in the front of said guideway, of a lid fitted to such guideway and provided with a handle or catch-piece projecting through the last-mentioned orifice, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with a journahbox provided with an orifice and a guideway in its outer end, and a lid fitted to slide in said guideway, of a plate arranged in such orifice in rear of the lid and means for holding it therein, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with a journal-box provided with an orifice having suitable projections therein, of a plate D, resting against such projections and provided with a handle or catch-piece, by means of which it may be removed and replaced, substantially as described.

let. A journal-box provided in its outerend with an orifice, a guideway for reception of a 1 lid arranged in relation to such orifice, and

channels or recesses d, substantially as de In testimony whereof I have hereunto set scribed. my hand this 12th day of July, 1889.

15. The combination, with a journal-box provided in its outer end with an orifice, :1 WILLIAM OTIS DUNBAR. 5 guideway,and channels or recesses d',and alid fitted t0 slidein the guideway, of pieces d, ar- WVitnesses:

ranged in said channels 01' recesses, substan- S. NOWELL, J11,

tially as described. G. H. ASHMAN. 

